Save the Cat rankings

HESHER script analysis

HESHER script - Save the Cat beat sheet analysis

After TJ’s bike chase and subsequent accident, he struggles with his father’s grief and bullies at school. A destructive drifter, Hesher, invades TJ’s life, forcing him into chaos that ultimately leads TJ to confront his pain. Through escalating conflicts with family and peers, TJ finds catharsis and a new beginning.

60 Save the Cat fit score 12% analysis confidence / 93 parsed scenes

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1

Opening Image

Scene 1 / Page 1 / 1% target

10%

TJ’s frantic bike chase and crash establish his restless state and looming conflict.

2

Theme Stated

Scene 3 / Page 1 / 5% target

10%

TJ argues with his dad about depression, hinting that unspoken grief shapes their lives.

I don't get why what I think doesn't matter.
3

Set-Up

Scenes 2-6 / Pages 1-2 / 10% target

11%

We see TJ’s home life, school routine, and strained relationship with his father.

4

Catalyst

Scene 7 / Page 2 / 12% target

10%

TJ crashes through a window and first meets the volatile drifter Hesher.

The fuck you think you're doing!?
5

Debate

Scenes 8-11 / Pages 2-3 / 20% target

11%

TJ and Hesher clash repeatedly, and TJ questions whether to let this stranger into his life.

6

Break into Two

Scene 12 / Page 3 / 25% target

10%

TJ notices Hesher watching him on the football field, marking the shift into the story’s main conflict.

7

B Story

Scenes 22-23 / Page 5 / 30% target

11%

TJ’s relationship with Nicole begins when she defends him from Dustin, providing emotional support.

What the fuck are you doing lady?
8

Fun and Games

Scenes 24-30 / Pages 5-6 / 40% target

12%

Hesher’s anarchic antics at Nicole’s car and in the Forney house showcase the film’s darkly comic tone.

9

Midpoint

Scene 50 / Page 11 / 50% target

10%

Hesher’s bathroom vandalism and Dustin’s attack on TJ raise the stakes and shift the story’s direction.

10

Bad Guys Close In

Scenes 56-57 / Page 12 / 65% target

11%

The police question TJ and Hesher mocks him, tightening external and internal pressures.

11

All Is Lost

Scene 76 / Page 16 / 75% target

10%

Grandma’s death represents the lowest emotional point for TJ and his family.

12

Dark Night of the Soul

Scenes 78-79 / Pages 16-17 / 80% target

11%

TJ isolates himself, destroying Hesher’s belongings and rejecting comfort.

13

Break into Three

Scene 84 / Page 18 / 85% target

11%

TJ is rescued from the wrecking yard, symbolically freed to move forward.

14

Finale

Scenes 89-90 / Page 20 / 95% target

11%

Hesher interrupts the funeral procession and reconciles the family through his chaotic intervention.

15

Final Image

Scene 93 / Page 21 / 99% target

11%

The scrap metal cube left by Hesher suggests transformation and a new beginning for TJ and his father.